Flux for brass plating.



nuirnn WALTER S. HOCKEY AND HILLIARY ELDRIDGE, 05 NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLUX FOR BRASS PLATING.

No Drawing.

To all whom it May concern;

Be it known that we, -Wiinrnr. S. Boomer and HILLIARY Enniuoon, citizens of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of Slew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flux for Brass Plating, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Uur invention relates to a process t'or making a. protecting flux, for use in plating single articles of iron, castiron, malleable iron, or steel, with brass.

Provide an iron pot silver plated on the inside for the purpose of boiling the water out of the boracic acid; the reason for silver plating the iron pot on the inside is to prevent any oxidation of the iron of the pot by the water that is in the boracic acid. The

oxygen of the water, at a red heat, combining with the iron of the pot, forms iron oxid which is detrimental to good brass plating. Silver at a red heat does not decompose Water, and for this reason we silver plate the iron pot on the inside. Boil the boracic acid in this pot at a low red heat until all steam ceases to pass off; then transfer the boracic acid from the iron pot into an aluminum oxid, magnesite or magnesium oxid crucible, or a crucible that is used for melting glass in glass works, are good "for melting boracic acid. After the boracic acid is transferred to the crucible as designated the crucible is then heated to a white heat until the molten boracic acid becomes placid and shows no ebullition of bubbles. Then reduce the term perature to a bright red heat. Then a sutficient quantity of metallic zinc is added to the boracic acid to decompose the constitutional water that is still remaining in the boracic acid. After the zinc is added, cover the crucible with a loose cover and keep the cover on until the reaction is over; the cessation of the reaction is denoted by the green flames ceasing to pass out from under the edges of the cover. When they cease, remove and stir the mass with a clay rod until all bubbles are eliminated. The reaction being over there now remains in the crucible a mixture of boron trioxid and zinc oxid. The hydrogen of the water being released and gaseous, passed oil from under the'cover during the reaction and being ignited by the furnace fire, presented the appearance oi green flames on account of the hydrogen being impregnated with boron trloxid or its Specification'of Letters Patent.

liatented 4t, titltti.

Application filed November 26, 1909. Serial No. 529,872.

impurities which changed the hydrogen blue color to a green. The constitutional water of the boracic acid thus being eliminated by the reaction as described, the boracic acid becomes boron trioxid. The flux now being ready for use can be preserved for future use by pouring it out of the crucible while it any of the brass should protrude above the surface of the flux it will oxidize. The tempcratureshould then be regulated to just above the fusing point of the brass which is being melted and kept at that temperature until the brass has become thoroughly :tused and liquid. Then immerse a chemically cleaned piece of sheet iron or other iron into the molten brass through the covering oi flux and then withdraw it. After with drawal, the iron article will be found to be covered with two separate and distinct stratus or coverings, one/aplating or coatn of brass on the iron which adheres to and become an integral part of the iron and tin other a coating or covering of the flux ov the brass which protected the brass from be coming; oxidized when withdrawn from the bath. This covering of flux is detachable and is removed from the brass plated iron after cooling and is rcmelted and again treated as already described before using again to eliminate all moisture that might have been absorbed while in a cool state.

" Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of maklng protecting,

flux for brass consisting in reducing boracio acid to a fluid condition by heat and then 'adding metallic zinc to decompose the re maining water.

2. The process of making aprotecting flux for brass consisting in first placing V boracic acid in a silver lined pot and reducing same to a flu d condition by heat, then transferrmg said boraclc acid to a suitable crucible and heating said acid until it becomes placid, then eddingnietallic zinc sufii cient to decompose the remaining consti tutional Water.

3. The process of making a flux which consists in first boiling boracic acid in an iron pot at a low temperature until it ceases to emit steam, then transferring same to a suitable crucible and heating at a white heat until it becomes placid, then reducing the temperature to a bright red heat, then adding a suiiicient quantity of metallic zinc to decompose the remaining water.

4. The process of making a flux which consists in first boiling boracic acid in an iron pot at a low temperature until it ceases to emit steam, then transferring same to a suitable crucible and heating at a white heat until it becomes placid, then reducing the temperature to a bright red heat, and then adding metallic zinc in sutlicient quantities to decompose the remaining water.

5. The process of making a flux Ior plating brass which consists in boiling boracic acid in an iron pot at a low temperature emcee until all steam ceases to come off, then transferring same into a suitable crucible and heating at a white heat until it becomes placid, then reducing the temperature to a bright red heat, then adding a suiiicient quantity of zinc in a divided state tbtlecompose the remaining water of the constitution and stirring the fluid until all reaction ceases.

6. The process of making a protecting flux for brass consisting in first placing boracic acid in a suitable pot and reducing same to a fluid condition by heat, then transferring said boracic acid to a suitable crucible and heating said acid until it becomes placid, then adding metaliic zinc sufficientto decompose the remaining constitutional water.

In testimony whereof, We aiiix our signatures, in presence of two Witnesses.

VTALTER S. HOCKEY HILLIARY ELDRIDGE. Witnesses Josnrrr MATTES, JOHN MULLIGAN. 

